Stories and thoughts: past, present and future

Are We Nearly There?

If you’ve followed my Blogs to date, you’ll already know that, when I was a child in the post-war Midlands there wasn’t much money to spare for extras. However, we always seemed to have enough for a holiday by the sea – not every year, but certainly I can remember a couple of times. On both of these occasions we went to a caravan site at Prestatyn, a holiday resort in north Wales, and spent a week there.

My parents didn’t own a car until the beginning of the 1960s, so if ever we went any distance it would be by coach or train. However, for these holidays I definitely remember going by car.

My Dad, as an extra part of his duties at work, would often be called upon to drive the elderly Managing Director into work and as a “thank you” he was allowed to borrow the car occasionally for his own use. The car was a 1948 Ford Prefect and I can still remember the registration – HFD 718. If you own that car, then it’s the one I once rode in!!!

So, off we would go, with our things packed, not in suitcases, but in bags and bundles. (I don’t think we owned any suitcases as we didn’t often go away.)

Today, the journey from where I lived to the holiday destination takes 2hours and 9 minutes and is 108 miles in length, 69 of which are on motorways. So, forget the motorways, imagine you’re driving in a three-speed Ford Prefect and you’ll realise that it probably took us almost a whole day to get there!

On the journey we’d sing songs or play I-Spy and when we became bored with that (three kids in the back of a cramped car!) we’d start asking, “Are we nearly there?” We’d probably travelled only a few miles, but it did seem a very long way!

So the next thing was, “first person to see the sea”, but we had too many false alarms so that was scrapped – “Are we nearly there?” Dad and Mum suggested different things we could look out for – buses, cyclists, cars like the one we were in, horses and carts, but each time we ended up saying, “Are we nearly there?” It could vary, of course, “Are we there yet?” or “How much longer?”.

We would, of course, eventually arrive and have a great week playing on the beach, paddling, splashing about, building sandcastles, hoping the incoming tide wouldn‘t wash it all away. We never asked for anything more – it was wonderful.

But, all too soon the week was over and yet, you know, the funny thing is, we never asked the same question on the way home!! We just wanted to stay in that lovely place forever.

My Christian journey has been a bit like this. I was travelling along the road towards salvation and once this was achieved by accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour then I wondered “What next?” “Am I there, yet?” At first I had no-one to help me or show me the next step, as it were.

If you’re in this position, or even if you’re still searching for the answers, my advice to you is to speak to someone who is already a Christian, They’ll soon point you in the right direction and then you won’t have to ask, “Am I nearly there?”

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
(Jeremiah 29 verse 11 N.I.V.)That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10 verse 9 N.I.V.)